At the August General Band Meeting 2001, a referendum was called for by the members of the Williams Lake Indian Band regarding the Bands participation in the BC Treaty Process. The motion read:

"For the Williams Lake Indian Band to proceed with a referendum concerning the Williams Lake Indian Band involvement in the tri-partite process known as the BCTC process to be entered onto September Band Meeting Agenda."

The motion was passed by consensus. Based on discussion at that meeting and from the minutes of the meeting the call for a referendum on treaty is based on the following issues:

• Opposition to the tripartite negotiations. Some feel that we should be negotiating with Canada only on a Nation to Nation basis

• The debt being accumulated by the band from the treaty loan dollars

• Lack of accomplishments to date by the NStQ treaty team. Frustration of nearly ten years of negotiation and little to show for it

• Questioning the voting process from the last referendum to move into stage 4 of the treaty process.

On November, 22, 2001 the referendum vote was held. The Band voted 66% to stay in Treaty and 34% to get out.

Due to the low participation level, approximately 27% of the total population, the results of the referendum were inconclusive.